The laundry process generally has several benefits for fabric, the most common being to remove dirt and stains from the fabric during the wash cycle and to soften the fabric during the rinse cycle. However, there are numerous disadvantages associated with repeated use of conventional laundry treatment compositions and/or the actual laundry process; one of these being a fairly harsh treatment of fabric in the laundry process.
Fabrics can be damaged in several ways as a result of repeated laundering and/or wear. Fabric pilling and loss of fabric surface appearance eg fuzzing, shrinkage (or expansion), loss of colour from the fabric or running of colour on the fabric (usually termed dye transfer) are some of the common problems associated with repeated laundering. These problems may occur merely from repeated hand washing as well as the more vigorous machine washing process. Furthermore, problems relating to damage of fabric over time through normal use, such as loss of shape and increased likelihood of wrinkling are also significant, especially with articles of clothing.
Laundry detergent compositions containing polyamide-polyamine fabric treatment agents are described in WO 98/29530. The compositions are claimed to impart improved overall appearance to fabrics laundered using the detergent compositions, in terms of surface appearance properties such as pill/fuzz reduction and antifading. Laundry compositions containing polyamide-polyamine treatment agents of similar types are taught in WO 97/42287.
An industrial process for treating fibres is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,949,014. This document describes the use of a polyamine-epichlorohydrin resin in a binder, together with an amphoteric high molecular weight compound having at least 2 cationic groups and at least 2 anionic groups per molecule. U.S. Pat. No. 3,949,014 mentions the treatment of fabrics with the binder but it is clear that the treatment is intended to be carried out industrially as part of a fabric treatment process rather than as part of a domestic laundering process and this conclusion is supported by the fact that the fabric treated with the binder required curing at a relatively high temperature. Industrial curing of fabrics treated with this type of polymer is normally carried out at about 150° C.
Methods for treating wool with compositions containing an amino functional polymer and a silicone polymer so as to impart shrink resistance are known. However, as described in EP-A-0315477, wool requires a pretreatment before such compositions can be used. Furthermore, EP-A-0372782 explains that the chemistry of wool is quite different from that of cellulosic fibres such as cotton and the requirements for shrink resistance treatments for cotton are generally very different from those for wool.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,371,517 discloses a composition for treating fibrous materials which contain cationic and anionic polymers. In a non-domestic treatment, the compositions increased the rigidity of cotton fabric.
Detergent compositions which prevent dye transfer are taught in EP-A-0068232. The compositions contain nonionic or zwitterionic surfactants in combination with water-soluble, amino and/or amide group-containing polymers.
WO 98/17764 discloses the use of polyamidoamines, in washing and cleaning compositions, as soil release agents.
Co-emulsifiers, for use in fabric softener and other compositions, which contain cationic quaternary amine polymers, are taught in DD 221922.
GB 2005322 discloses a method of treating textiles which involves treating the materials with a water-soluble polymeric material and an exhaustion agent. The polymers disclosed include the anionic polycarbamoyl-suphonates. The exhaustion agents are inorganic salts.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,121,902 discloses a textile treatment composition which comprise water-soluble anionic polymers (polycarbamoylsuphonates) and at least 20% of a water-insoluble insoluble organic polymer. Optional ingredients which may be present include cationic derivatives of polyamides (such as epichlorohydrin derivatives) or cationic surfactants.
GB 1329247 discloses a process for rendering keratinous or other protein material resistant to shrinkage. The process comprises a treatment with a resin followed treatment with a soil release agent. The resin can be a cationic derivatives of polyamide (such as an epichlorohydrin derivative).
GB 2039938 discloses a textile treatment composition which includes both anionic and cationic polymers.
WO 98/29530 discloses the use of amine-amide epichlorohydrin resins to impart benefits regarding overall appearance, pill-fuzz reduction and antifading in the domestic laundry.
Definition of the Invention
According to the present invention, there is provided a fabric care composition adapted for use in a domestic laundering process and comprising:                a) at least one reactive cationic polymer, which is an amine or amide epichlorhydrin resin,        b) at least one reactive anionic polymer of net negative charge, and,        c) at least one textile compatible carrier, said reactive polymers each being capable of self cross-linking and/or cross linking to cellulose, wherein the cationic polymer and the anionic polymer are present in amounts such that the overall charge provided by the polymers is positive, and wherein the composition comprises less than 10% of water-insoluble organic polymers.        
It is believed that the use of an anionic polymer improves the dye transfer properties of a fabric care composition which comprises a cationic polymer.
It is also believed that use of an anionic polymer improves the stain release properties of a fabric care composition which comprises a cationic polymer.
Also provided by the present invention is a method of treating fabric comprising applying to the fabric a fabric care composition according to the invention as part of a laundering process.